I've come across so many opinions as to what "punk" really accounts for. Some would say only bands that truly lived the genre (Crass, Conflict, Dead Kennedys, so on and so forth) understood the true meaning of punk. As those bands are busy preaching the "true punk idea" to everyone within earshot, Brutal Youth is somewhere in the back, getting hammered and breaking things in the name of fun. Is it intelligent? Eh. Are there complex instrumentals? Nope. Is it fun? Absolutely.

That's exactly what Brutal Youth bring to the table. Yes, we've heard it before: scratchy vocals, lightning-fast fuck-all drumming, and three or four chords played over it all. But hey, they do it well.

The perfect example: Halfway through the first song on the album, "Four Letter Words," after a quick and angry 15 seconds the lead singer proclaims "Oh fuck it" and the harmonies, shouts, and "whoa-oh"s take over. The album is short and sweet, catchy, fun, and leaves room for a ton of potential growth. "Irrational Fear of Water" reminds me of something off of the Flatliners' debut album Destroy to Create.

Influences? Definitely some Kid Dynamite. Definitely '80s hardcore. As they proclaim in "3 Chords, 4 Words," they've got a lot of growing up to do. Hopefully we'll see more from this band.

Downsides? It's short, it won't blow your mind, and it's definitely what I used to listen to in 8th grade. Nostalgia can do wonders.

If you're looking for fun, fast-paced punk, pick this up for free over at DtFH's website. For fans of: Shook Ones, the Flatliners, Kid Dynamite and Hall & Oates.